HUNTER
Maggie is fallen on the road and I approach her smell of agony and pain. I scrap the nose in her belly and something is wrong, my babies suffer, I can feel them. I howl bagging uncle Quinn to help me, he crouched even with his wounded leg and raises her in his arms, taking her to the truck. Uncle Quinn lays Maggie on the back seat and I sit by her side, in guard, trying to protect her form the pain, from the fear. As soon as Adam jumped on the back of the truck, uncle Quinn started, stepping down on the truck.
I close my eyes trying to get back to my skin, but I feel my body electrifying, pulsing by the heat of combat, the tense muscles, taken by the beast, lost between the fury of the animal and the reason of man.
I breathe slowly, immerse in darkness and s
MAGGIE The fist image I see when I wake up is Hunter’s face. His eyes are red and teary, but even so, my Big Guy smiles at me. A weak and sad smile, that I insist in finding out why is on the face I so much love. He holds my hand and asks worried. “Hey, baby, how are you feeling, my love?” “Still dizzy, a little pain.” I look to the empty crib by my side and ask Hunter why my children are not here. “Where are the babies, love? Why they haven’t brought them yet? They must be hungry, they need to be fed.&rdq
HUNTER I opened the ranch door and as soon as I entered the living room, I saw Connor stare at the suitcase in my hand and quickly his smile died on his face. “Hi, Hunt, di… did something ha… happened?” Kay closed the refrigerator and came towards me, he stopped chewing an apple by seeing the bleakness on my face. “Fuck, Hunt, Maggie dumped you, was it? What the fuck did you do this time, old man?” How could I answer Kay’s question with dignity? How should I start numbering the shits I did that ended up fucking my relationship with Maggie?
HUNTER VAUGH “Come here, Mel, come here with daddy.” Melanie smiles one of her smiles that disarms me, with four teeth and she crawls on the ranch porch. She supports herself on Adam’s legs and gets up slowly, one little step after the other, falling five steps later. “That’s it, my princess, one step at the time.” Damy opens the living room door with Jeremiah on his neck, I get Jerry from his father’s arms and I nibble his fat little belly, while Mel in wrapped around Damy’s legs and stretches out her arms asking to be picked up. Adam carries Melanie to the back of the ranch, to our yard,
THE STRAGGLERSBOOK 3: CARE A FIRST LOOK: CONNOR VAUGH & LUNA AGNELLI CONNOR VAUGH The kermess is very lively, I enjoy the day off, something very uncommon in my life, to catch up with my friends. I drink a Budweiser with Jared and Phill, friends from the battalion. “Don’t you miss vacations, Lieutenant Vaugh, it will be two years since you’ve taken vacations.”&nb
CONNOR The Fire Department patio of Portland is full of people. Today is our department’s birthday and a big event is happening to celebrate this important date. During the graduation, the announcer tells me to get a stand out place on the authorities stage. “Lieutenant Vaugh, three steps forwards.” I position myself in front of Colonel Twain, salute him and he gives me an honor medal for excellence, professionalism and relevance in my services, the re
CONNOR I get off my truck in a hurry, I really miss my family, my wandering pack of lost wolves. Everything is the same, the Vaugh ranch never losses its charm. Built with noble wood, varnished, wide windows and the old bench on the porch. Rustic, simple and cozy, like the four of us. All is the same way of when I left, my house, my refugee, where my brothers and I grew up and became men. I put down my backpack and I climbed up the porch stairs yelling and no one came to answer the door, where are they? Adam and Hunter don’t live here anymore, but they said they would be at the ranch tonight so we would see each other here, to have a few beers celebrating my return to Portland, then why is the house empty? And the lights are off? I go to the back door that is on our backyard and when I open it a choir of familiar v
HUNTER I have a feeling there’s a heavy metal band playing only in my head, I open my eyes very slowly and light hits my iris like a thousand needles.With difficulty I sit on the bed and look around, two naked women sleep entangled together and I make and effort to remind me how did I end up here. This is not my bedroom, I drag myself to the edge of the bed and I get up, stretching myself. The sheet falls off and I hear one of them whistling, provoking me. “What a tasty little ass, right, Sickle?”I smile ratter yellow and get the sheet from the floor, covering myself again.Oh my, please, give me a hand, I just need to know the name, what are these women’s names?‘Dear’, I better call them that, is sweet and I won’t betray myself saying the wrong nam
HUNTER “The Sickle” was crowded tonight, with all kinds of people. My idea, at first, was to have a bikers bar, but I won’t throw clients out just because they are not coloring books, just like most of my tattooed friends, or because they enjoy country music instead of rock music. I look around me and I think, where damn Lupita is when we fucking need her most? The counter is full of orders and right now, she decides to go over the pool table. Tonight is Black Music night, but it plays everything. It’s the only bar around where patrons can have a cold Budweiser, watch NFL games, and pick some sappy song on the jukebox. Besides being able to taste a delicious rare steak a la Hunter.